1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a process of producing a frozen yeast fermented dough for a bread, a yeast doughnut and the like.
2. Description of Prior Art
Demand for the frozen yeast fermented dough has been increasing in recent years with rationalization of a breadmaking factory.
Hitherto, yeast fermented doughs have been generally prepared according to the straight dough method and the sponge dough method. The straight dough method comprises mixing together the whole amount of wheat flour, water having yeast dissolved therein, yeast food, and other ingredients than oil or fat to a considerable extent, adding oil or fat to a mixture, thoroughly mixing the ingredients to prepare a dough, after which the dough is subjected to fermenting, dividing, benching, molding, final proofing and baking. The sponge dough method comprises adding to a part of wheat flour the whole amounts of yeast and yeast food and a part of water, mixing them together to prepare a sponge dough, fermenting the dough, adding to a fermented dough the remaining wheat flour, other ingredients than oil or fat and the remaining water, mixing the dough to a considerable extent followed by addition of oil or fat, thoroughly mixing the ingredients to prepare a dough, giving the dough to a floor time, and dividing, after which the subsequent steps are performed in accordance with the straight sponge method.
However, the frozen doughs produced by the aforedescribed two methods suffer from the disadvantages of a deterioration in the quality of the baked product, which is due to the remarkable reduction in fermentation activity and the associated degradation of the dough which are considered to be caused by the formation of alcohol during fermentation of the dough, thus strongly damaging yeast cells upon freezing. Now, a modified straight dough method has been employed hitherto for producing the frozen yeast fermented dough. In the modified method, the same operations as employed in the straight dough method are performed up to the preparation of a dough, and subsequently the dough is not fermented at all or fermented for a short time to the extent of 1/10 as compared to the straight dough method, after which the fermented dough is subjected to dividing, benching, molding, freezing, thawing, proofing, and baking. However, the modified straight dough method has serious disadvantages that the prolonged frozen storage (about three weeks) of the dough gives rise to a reduction in the quality of the baked product and the length of time over a period of from thawing to final proof.